An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

But you will say, what are the usual ends which the Lord hath in afflicting his people?

I answer, First, to turn them from sin; Secondly, to unglue and wean them from the world; Thirdly, that they may live nearer to, or more with him; Fourthly, that they may live more unto him, or (wch takes in both the latter ends) that they may enjoy him more while they live, & honour him more with their lives. Now (I say) till we are upon this kind of study, both of the causes of our visitation, and the ends of it, & beg that we may both remove those causes, & comply with or answer those ends, we may be said not to know the visitation of the Lord, though it be, and we are, in great extremity. And if this be to know the visitation of God, surely many are perishing and sinking under the hand of his visitation, w•• yet know it not. How many are there, who neither endeavour to search out the causes, nor to fulfil the ends for which the Lord visiteth them in his anger! I conceive this assertion, or supposition at least of Elihu's concerning Job, both as to his not trusting God in his affliction, and not knowing his visitation, was, though in part true, and occasioned on Jobs part, yet over-harsh and severe: nor was the inference which he made from it in the next verse, less severe and harsh.

I answer, First, to turn them from sin; Secondly, to unglew and wean them from the world; Thirdly, that they may live nearer to, or more with him; Fourthly, that they may live more unto him, or (wch takes in both the latter ends) that they may enjoy him more while they live, & honour him more with their lives. Now (I say) till we are upon this kind of study, both of the causes of our visitation, and the ends of it, & beg that we may both remove those causes, & comply with or answer those ends, we may be said not to know the visitation of the Lord, though it be, and we are, in great extremity. And if this be to know the visitation of God, surely many are perishing and sinking under the hand of his visitation, w•• yet know it not. How many are there, who neither endeavour to search out the causes, nor to fulfil the ends for which the Lord visiteth them in his anger! I conceive this assertion, or supposition at least of Elihu's concerning Job, both as to his not trusting God in his affliction, and not knowing his visitation, was, though in part true, and occasion'd on Jobs part, yet over-harsh and severe: nor was the inference which he made from it in the next verse, less severe and harsh.